Fulbright Forum -
Newsletter of the Fulbright Academy - November 2008
Dear [First Name will go here] [Last Name will go here]
Before you read the rest of our newsletter, we first want to thank the individuals and institutions who have made FAST possible through your donations, memberships, sponsorships and partnerships. This has been a wonderful year, despite the distractions during the past few months from political and economic news.
The sense of community is stronger than ever. Fulbrighters are contributing in many ways toward the Fulbright ideal: the promotion of international good will through the exchange in the fields of education, culture and science. This community includes university researchers, business managers, teachers in schools, public officials, and the vast array of jobs that Fulbrighters hold (as well as alumni who are happily retired, but still active in their community).
Two weeks ago, the FAST leadership team held its annual retreat, with invited guests such as members of the Director’s Circle (donors of $1,000+). Attendees came from six US states and one foreign country, and the lunch on Friday for 25 was sponsored by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Science, while our Saturday program was held at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum.
It was a wonderful opportunity to review our past work. This year, FAST was involved in over two dozen events in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, covering topics such as nursing, energy, psychology, engineering, urban planning, marine conservation and digital media. We already have over $75,000 committed for activities in 2009, with alumni-initiated programs under development in Macedonia, Austria, El Salvador, Germany, Canada and the USA. Thank you for your ongoing suppport.
---- Eric Howard, Executive Director, 1989 Fulbrighter to Germany
Deadlines for our Fourth Annual Conference:
Planning for the FAST 4th Annual Conference is progressing, with dozens of Fulbrighters active in the preparations. The conference explores innovation in "small places." The USA, India, China and other big economic powers do not have a monopoly on innovation - fascinating developments also are coming out of smaller countries. Small jurisdictions can be great laboratories and incubators for new ideas.
We will discuss how businesses, NGOs, governments and institutions of higher education in other parts of the world are working individually or collaboratively to secure a better economic future. The four-day program on March 24-27 will examine future trends and current success stores. The deadline for submitting abstracts for papers, posters, tours and other presentations is November 30. Also note that you can save $100 by registering before the early-bird deadline (Dec. 15).
Conference Forms - The deadline for discounted
registration is 15 December.
Online Registration - Register and pay online,
instead of by fax/mail.
Conference Sponsorship - Promote your mission and
support our mission.
Who’s Attending? – A list of expected and
registered attendees.
The Call for Papers - The preliminary deadline
for Abstracts is 30 November.
Deadline for End-of-year Contributions &
Memberships:
As we approach the end of the year, your
financial support is needed. We have a wonderful network of alumni and
member institutions, and funds are needed to support them and their ideas.
Our fall campaign is also a time to acknowledge the many gifts that we
have received and the many benefits that have derived from those gifts.
FAST depends on you and our other partners.
We are grass-roots; your ideas provide the intellectual basis for our programs. We are an independent non-profit organization; your contributions and memberships provide the financial basis for our programs. The FAST Five Funding Initiative is seeking contributions in the $500 to $5,000 range from about 50 alumni or institutions, but donations of any size are welcome. Last week, a student grantee who came to our Boston conference contributed $25, which we can now use to subsidize the registration for another young Fulbrighter to attend our 2009 conference.
Simply put, your contributions make it possible for us to working with, promote and link Fulbrighters worldwide. If possible, please make your institutional membership payments or individual contributions before December 15. You can make your contribution today using our online service.
FAST Partners and Sponsors - not too late to get
involved:
The four sponsors and partners
listed below are all involved in our March 2009 Annual Conference.
Partners from other countries will be be involved in the conference as
well. Promote your mission and support our mission by becoming a conference partner - click here for
details.
FON University was the first private university in Macedonia. In just a few years, it has grown to 250 academic staff and over 5,000 students in ten faculties: Faculties of Economics, Communication & IT, Law, Political Sciences, Environmental Management, Design & Multimedia, Detectives & Security, Sports & Sport Management, Philosophy and Foreign Languages. http://www.fon.edu.mk/
Macedonian Enterprise Development Foundation mission is to support entrepreneurship and the development of small and micro-enterprises. In 2007, it provided small loans totalling 3.26 million Euros to 1,320 clients, with 48% of the loans going to farms and agriculture-related businesses. http://www.mailermailer.com/rd?http://www.mrfp.org.mk/default-en.asp
Seavus is a software consulting and development company which provides a full line of services to design, develop, implement and maintain business support solutions for their partners and clients around the world. For example, it develops application software and offers on-site or off-site IT experts and professionals experienced in a broad array of the latest software technologies to augment staff during peak periods. It has offices in Sweden, Belarus, Latvia, Macedonia, the Netherlands, UK and USA. www.seavus.com.
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University has over 36,000 students from the Republic of Macedonia as well as over 700 foreign students are enrolled at all faculties; over 2,300 teaching and scientific staff and associates are engaged in the teaching, educational and scientific process at the faculties and over 300 at the institutes. It has Long- term bilateral cooperation with 75 foreign universities. www.ukim.edu.mk
Alumni
News:
The 111th U.S. Congress will convene its first session in January
2009, with at least four Fulbright alumni serving in the U.S. House of
Representatives. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) was a Fulbrighter to the United
Kingdom in 1977. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) was a Fulbright fellow to
Greece in 1985. Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA) participated in Fulbright-Hays
Summer Seminars in Mexico in 1983 and in Brazil in 1987. Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords (D-AZ) was a Fulbrighter to Mexico in 1993. If you know of
political or business leaders who also were Fulbrighters, please let us
know.
Alumni in Italy have been active. Amerigo, the new alumni association for alumni participants of U.S. government sponsored exchange programs from Italy, held its first nation-wide annual conference at the U.S. Embassy's Young Conference Hall on November 12, 2008. The conference was entitled "Now What? - The challenges of the global markets in the new President's agenda." Over 100 alumni from the Rome area and from Amerigo's local chapters in Milan, Naples and Palermo, attended the event. The audience of alumni included financial analysts, academics, policy- makers, entrepreneurs, business representatives, and journalists. http://www.associazioneamerigo.it/home.jsp
Fulbrighters from the Americas, Europe and Asia participated in the A*STAR Fulbright Academy Conference in Singapore: Futuropolis 2058 – Creating Sustainable Urban Environments Through Innovation. The major themes were city planning, engineering, construction, alternative energy and architecture. Some 275 scientists, executives and researchers heard speakers from leading universities and multinational corporations, such as Yale, University of Illinois, Google, Nokia and Microsoft. The conference was sponsored by Accenture and Vestas, and hosted by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology & Research in partnership with FAST. A follow-up program will be held in Macedonia during our 4th Annual Conference.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has announced the launch of the LAND-L announcement list. The purpose of LAND-L is to provide a free, moderated, community communications tool, allowing subscribers to post announcements related to desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) as well as sustainable land management events, policy developments, publications and new initiatives. LAND-L is not a discussion list and is limited to non-commercial, non-political announcements. IISD’s other announcement lists include CLIMATE-L, FORESTS-L, WATER-L, CHEMICALS-L, OCEANS-L, ENERGY-L, AFRICASD-L, and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), which provides coverage of multilateral negotiations on environment and sustainable development.To subscribe to the an IISD listserve, please visit http://www.iisd.ca/email/subscribe.htm
Dr. Alan Leshner, a Fulbright alumnus who heads the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has announced the launch of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition. The Coalition – a network of scientific associations, professional societies, and science academies - recognizes that science and scientists are vital to the realization of human rights. A January event to launch the coalition will highlight the contribution scientists have made to human rights and affirm our commitment to doing more moving forward. FAST will be joining the Coalition as an affiliated member. http://shr.aaas.org/
The December Newsletter will be published on December 17, so please send your submissions early.
LINKS - FAST PROGRAMS & INFORMATION
FAST is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that serves Fulbright scholars - scientists, executives, and scholars worldwide. Our members and sponsors include individuals and institutions such as universities, corporations, government agencies and foundations.
Membership is open to Fulbright scholars and alumni, friends of the Fulbright program and institutions that suppport the FAST mission. Regular membership is $60 for individuals and $500 for institutions of higher education. Life Membership is $500, and members of the Director's Circle contribute $1,000+/year. Students, retired Fulbrighters and alumni in low- and middle-income countries with some financial means are requested to join at the regular $60 rate or at the discounted rate of $40 for 2 years.
FAST is an independent organization and is not affiliated with or funded by the Fulbright Exchange Program or the US Fulbright Association. As a result, your contributions are critical to our success. Please learn more about the work of the Fulbright Academy by visiting our website: www.FulbrightAcademy.org
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Fulbright Academy
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